Recent developments in silicon micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) have dramatically reduced length scales of these components, resulting in an increase in surface area-to-volume ratios of these structures. The new, small dimensions tend to cause the MEMS structures to adhere (stiction) to the substrate or adjacent structures in the presence of moisture. In addition, since the structures have surfaces in normal or sliding contact, friction and wear are also crucially affected. Therefore, surface modifications are necessary to improve anti-stiction and wear resistance of these silicon-based structures.
Self-assembled monolayer (SAM) coatings and thin vapor-deposited organic coatings have frequently been utilized to improve anti-stiction. Organic coatings, however, are not only prone to rapid wear over long-term use, they also significantly degrade in harsh environments or at elevated temperatures.
The present invention uses ceramic coatings for MEMS devices. Ceramics provide the protection necessary for MEMS surfaces, but they impose a fabricating challenge. One difficulty is that conventional ceramic processing cannot be easily implemented for surface coatings because it involves high processing temperatures. This is so even when sol-gel processing is used.
Many MEMS devices cannot tolerate the ceramic processing temperature range. Spalling will take place from the surface of the MEMS devices due to thermo-mechanical stresses, thermal shock, and high temperature fluctuation. The protection layer will then become ineffective.
In addition, some IC and MEMS devices require hermetic packaging for long-term reliability. Hermetic packaging, in general, utilizes ceramic materials that are deposited upon the surface in an inert atmosphere or vacuum.
Ceramic hermetic packages effectively protect the device from oxygen and water permeation, but manufacturing and material costs are high. The packaging content can be as high as 75% to 95% of the overall cost of a MEMS device.
Therefore, it would be a significant advance in MEMS technology to be able to use conventional packaging processes with ceramic coatings that may provide hermetic packages without loosing any benefits of hermetic encapsulation.
The present invention provides a bi- or multi-layer coating for MEMS surfaces. The multi-layer consists of at least one layer comprising a top, hard coating (e.g., ceramics such as BN, TiN, Al2O3, and ZrO2), and an underlying, compliant SAM coating (organic materials) for silicon and organic materials. This multi-layer coating provides both environmental and hermetical protection without employing expensive packaging materials and processes.
The inventive ceramic coatings are fabricated using a low-temperature synthesis having a minimum of shrinkage during processing. The application can use a solution precursor method. In fact, inorganic films can be grown as well upon organic substances, as is routinely observed in nature (this is known as “biomimetic” processing). The self-assembled monolayer (SAM) can be used for this organic template layer and for the subsequent ceramic growth. This fabrication is unique because ceramic film, which usually does not grow well upon bare silicon surfaces, can do so on a SAM-coated surface. The coating may consist of a single bi-layer SAM/ceramic or, in alternate embodiments, multiple layers may be used.
The thermal stability of the underlying SAM coating will also be improved by the top ceramic coating, which will prevent SAM oxidation at elevated temperatures. The ceramic layer will also offer ideal thermal protection. Furthermore, the SAM coating will act as a buffer layer for the top ceramic layer to prevent it from cracking or debonding during processing, as well as during device operation. It has been shown through computer simulation that the stress in the ceramic film is in fact relieved when the thickness of a buffer layer is increased.
The multi-layer approach maximizes the strengths of both the organic and inorganic coating functions, while self-compensating for the inherent weaknesses of each. The resultant coating provides a synergy by functioning better than the two layers alone.
Another advantage of the SAM coating resides in the ceramic/SAM bi-layer(s). This layer can be selectively deposited only on the surfaces to be protected, thus leaving the electrical components intact for the subsequent interconnections. An additional SAM coating on metallic bonding pads is grown for this purpose using a solution route prior to the deposition of ceramic coatings. The second SAM coatings are inert, keeping the ceramic layer from growing on the metal surface. In this way, the ceramic/SAM layers will be deposited selectively on the silicon surfaces. More importantly, the protective coating with hard top overlay will improve a variety of MEMS applications, including bio-MEMS, which are used in medical and biological applications.
As aforementioned, the ceramic/SAM coatings applied to organic (plastic) packaging components will protect the device from adverse environments, which normally require ceramic hermetic packaging. It will also provide enhanced thermal stability for the organic packages, which are normally and rapidly degraded at elevated temperatures in air and harsh environments. Owing to the fact that the coating process only adds additional solution dipping processes (i.e., steps), the manufacturing costs will be much cheaper than the normally used hermetic packaging processes, which typically require expensive vacuum equipment and raw materials.
In the present inventive coating processes, the entire package is simply dipped into a precursor solution, dried, and pyrolyzed for each SAM and ceramic coating. The processing temperature is low (<300° C.). By using a selective coating process, only the organic surfaces will be coated with a SAM and ceramic layer. This will not cover metal surfaces.